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American Morning

America's New War: In New York, Rescue Workers Continue to Look for Survivors

Aired September 18, 2001 - 09:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: I want to draw your attention to what is going on in New York City at this hour, south of here, down at the area known as ground zero, where of course rescue workers continue to work around the clock to look for those that might still be alive, trapped in the rubble. You heard Martin Savidge report earlier on, I think it was Martin or one of our correspondent, that rescue workers are hopeful that perhaps trapped underneath the towers is people who are still alive. There is a massive area underground that would normally constitute about a seven-story space.

Let's check in with Michael Okwu, who can bring us further up to date on some of those other developments.

Good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

As you know, as of a week ago today, at this hour, New York City was changed forever, and perhaps the attitude of the entire country was changed forever. Certainly, this neighborhood just north of ground zero was changed. On a personal note, my first apartment was in fact in this neighborhood. And many of the buildings here are converted warehouses, so they are low enough you have unobstructed views of midtown Manhattan, and the Hudson River and the Statue Of liberty, and, of course, the World Trade Center.

I imagine that on Tuesday of last week schools were open, people going to work, people emerging from subways, and then, of course, the walls literally came tumbling down.

Now it is a disaster site and a crime scene. Streets are teeming with emergency and medical personnel, Army reservists, underneath this cloud now of what is a very recognizable plume of white smoke, indication that fires still raging deep within the rubble. No one has been recovered alive here since Wednesday of last week, and as each day passes, it becomes harder to imagine that anyone will be pulled out of this wreckage alive, and yet this is still being called a rescue effort.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. DALE BROWN, INTERMOUNTAIN FIRE DEPT.: Every firefighter faces disasters at one point or another, usually much smaller than this. I think every guy here realizes that death is a part of any kind of situation. This is just on a much larger level. I think most guys right now are dealing with it OK. Most guys with the New York Fire Department are feeling this tremendous loss. Most know somebody.

JACK O'BRIEN, RESCUE WORKER: The enthusiasm is still there by the police department, and the fire department and the contractors, but there's a lot less people there working, but everybody is working hard and really hopeful. I think everybody wants to be the one to find somebody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OKWU: So many of these people knew others who were working in this building, particularly firefighters who knew other firefighters who responded to the scene, and so they are tireless in their efforts to continue to search and try to find life underneath the rubble. FBI agents, a team of FBI agents, came here last night very early in the morning, very early. They came in for 20 minutes and they turned around and they left. A reminder that this is very much not only a disaster scene, but a crime scene.

And we spoke to a cleric who is here as well, who was supporting -- who is actually supporting many of the rescue workers in their fight against anger and against grief. But many of the people here say that morale is still high. As one person put it to us, after all, they found babies in Oklahoma City -- Paula.

ZAHN: That says it all. Michael Okwu, thanks so much.

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